The Gingerman

Brighton restaurant legend Ben McKellar still keeps a keen eye on his original eatery – a congenial, diminutive bistro set in a pretty street between the seafront & Western Road. There's a broadly French slant to the cuisine, tempered with an instinctive understanding of simple, unaffected partnerships. The kitchen makes the most of seasonal ingredients, seen in winter dishes such as plaice goujons with pea shooter, caper & nori hash, venison carpaccio & beetroot slaw, or poached & roasted black-leg chicken with foie gras, tarragon boulangère, carrots, broad beans & truffle cream. Similarly, a bargain set lunch (£15/18 for two/three courses) could deliver marinated salmon with potato blinis & herb cream, followed by grey mullet with aubergine purée, courgette tempura, roast red peppers, almonds & roast garlic sauce, with lemon & mascarpone crème brûlée making a sweet finish. Good service & reasonably priced wines complete a satisfying package.